The District House (Wed. 03/11 with Bill Edmonds)

The District House is a weekly gathering and core benefit of District216. Guests are welcome to arrive for part or all of the evening to meet community members, connect with visiting speakers, and engage in thoughtful conversations across psychedelics, wellness, creativity, and conscious culture. 💜

Topic: "From War to Wonder: Psychedelics, Brain Science, and the Art of Reorienting the Mind"

Description: After three decades in Special Forces and years spent on the inner battlefield of trauma, Bill came to see that the deepest wounds are not only psychological or neurological — they are spiritual. This conversation explores how psychedelics, meditation, and modern neuroscience converge to help the nervous system remember safety, the heart rediscover meaning, and the self dissolve into something larger than the story of pain. Together we’ll explore transformation as a living process, not a concept — how the meeting of brain science and contemplative wisdom within guided, intentional altered states can rewire the mind, open the heart, and reveal the wholeness that was never lost.

When: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 from 5pm to 9pm (Speaker at 6:30pm)

Where: LoDo Studios, 216 E. Gutierrez Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(Please only park across the street on the Office Max side of the lot.)

Members are Free to attend The District House evenings, and are prioritized when we reach capacity.

Guests Welcome to purchase $25 tickets to The District House evenings.

Note: We will be filming the speaker for the District216 Change Your Lens Series. Refreshments provided.

Speaker: Bill Edmonds, Former Special Forces Officer and Clinician

Bill R. Edmonds is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer who spent more than three decades operating in some of the most complex environments on earth—across Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Kosovo, and throughout Africa. Decorated with the Bronze Star with Valor, Purple Heart, and National Intelligence Award, Bill’s battlefield now lies within.

After a long career marked by trauma and transformation, Bill turned toward healing. He is a meditation teacher, clinical social worker, ordained minister, and psychedelic-assisted therapist whose work bridges neuroscience, contemplative wisdom, and ceremony. Through his private practice, CompassionateNudge | CompassionateNudge.com, he guides veterans, first responders, and seekers through carefully structured and curated journeys of self-inquiry and consciousness exploration—helping the nervous system remember safety, the heart rediscover meaning, and the mind awaken to its original clarity.

Bill is the author of the acclaimed memoir God Is Not Here and a contributor to War and Moral Injury: A Reader, A Compassionate Nudge, After Moral Injury, and A Soldier's Story. His story has been featured in The Atlantic, USA Today, and Apple TV+’s The Line. He holds master’s degrees from the University of Southern California, the Naval Postgraduate School, and King’s College London. He lives in Cambria, California with his wife, Cheryl, and their two daughters, Natalie and Ava.

Info: Meet District216 members and guests while enjoying snacks and beverages.

Info: Featuring Bill Edmonds

Info: Chat about what you just experienced and integrate a bit.

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